The 'Strut' Cast Is Bound For More Success

Some of the most groundbreaking TV series right now are cable reality shows, like Strut, the Oxygen series about transgender models breaking into the industry. The season finale airs on Tuesday, Oct. 25 and I'm hoping that Strut will return for Season 2 to give these models the visibility they deserve. As reported by Variety, Strut is the first show to have an all-trans cast and it has helped to illuminate both the lives of transgender women and men and the lives of working models.

The series is nothing like the highly produced America's Next Top Model, or any other televised look into the world of modeling. And since the entire cast consists of trans people, there's no "token" casting, which is often what it can feel like when other TV series try to increase their representation by adding a sole trans person. Because Strut is a reality show, it also gets the chance to more accurately represent the lives of trans people. Hopefully, the series will be given another chance to do that, but Oxygen has not yet announced whether it will return for a second season. Tuesday's episode is being promoted as a season finale, not series, which is a good sign, but that doesn't mean more episodes are guaranteed. Luckily, the cast is still making progress in the modeling industry and that shouldn't stop even if the series is cancelled.

Laith De La Cruz

Laith is the only transgender man in the cast, so he provided a different point of view and set of experiences than the rest of the models. He was successful when the season started, but in addition to his modeling career, he's been picking up a few higher-profile gigs like bartending on Watch What Happens Live.

Dominique Jackson

Dominique's West Indian heritage is a huge subject in her life, and she was able to share her recent trip to the Caribbean with her newfound fans who love her from the show. And, of course, she's still working. Even her vacation photos look like they could be in a magazine.

Isis King

Isis' history as a model, designer, and performer was already well-known ahead of Strut, since she competed on America's Next Top Model twice. Because of that slightly bigger spotlight, she's been able to get opportunities like walking in the Marco Marco fashion show in Los Angeles alongside former RuPaul's Drag Race contestants.

Cassandra Cass

Speaking of the Marco Marco show, Cassandra actually made a huge impression on the red carpet outside of the event by showing up in a very tiny gold outfit. While on Strut she acts as more of a businesswoman and mentor, when it comes to her own career outside of the show, she's a sought after performer and guest — she even handed out a prize at the 2016 Queen USA competition, a pageant specifically for trans women.

Ren Spriggs

Ren is still finding her place in the modeling industry, so her credits are limited. But she's making progress — she posted to her Instagram back in September 2016 that she walked in New York Fashion Week, which is huge.

Arisce Wanzer

In 2014, Arisce penned a very publicized open letter to Kendall Jenner about turning reality show fame into a modeling contract. Since then, Arisce has turned her modeling success into reality TV fame, but lately, she seems to be accomplishing lots of things in her personal life in addition to continuing her career. She's in a relationship, her mother just got married, and she's even receiving birthday gifts from famous friends.

Whether or not Strut Season 2 happens, this cast is on their way to dominating the modeling world.

Images: Tim Brown/Oxygen (2); Charles Sykes/Bravo